A little late for the girls to be up on a school night, but they've been watching it since it started so they got to see it. It's a totally kid-friendly show, so I'm a little surprised it wasn't aired at 8 instead of 9 to start with, but I've never claimed to understand the mysteries of television programming.
The first hour featured another task very similar to one of the first season challenges as the heroes had to don protective gear and face down three trained attack dogs. This time the goal was to stop "giant evil Stan" in his tracks by canceling his power source--but to do so they had to get through those dogs. Hygena, having been criticized for not taking enough initiative in past shows, had a plan in mind that involved using herself as bait to distract the dogs while the others completed the mission, and I imagine it must have been terrifying being dragged around as she was. The Defuser, a big guy, was best able to muscle his way through, but Hyper-Strike did well as well.
In fact, all three heroes did well at the first challenge, just as all three were tripped up during the second one, which involved being interviewed for a talk show (by Kennedy, of MTV fame if you're old enough to remember that). They all knew, from past challenges, that they weren't supposed to reveal their non-super name, and none did. However, they were all pretty free with other personal information when talking with the makeup artist, all at least revealing where they were from. So that didn't go so well for the heroes.
The first elimination was a pleasant surprise when Stan declined to send anyone home at that point--I don't know whether this had to do with actual performance or with the three-hero dynamic being more interesting than a contest between two heroes would have been.
But the second hour was a bit on the dull side. First, like last year, the heroes were sent for some training in "stunt fighting" and the art of looking good on camera. The athletic Hyper-Strike excelled here, but this didn't really seem to be a challenge per se. After that, they each had a personal interview with Stan, which I found to be a bit uncomfortable in that there was a certain Queen for a Day vibe, as if the show's editors chose to focus on the most tragic aspects of the contestant's life. That said, I felt a great deal for Hygena during this part, and was impressed with the degree the Defuser had internalized the superhero as a role model, so apparently it's an effective technique.
Finally, the contestants were taken into public, where each was reunited with friends and family members, praised by Stan, and cheered by the crowds. The winner this season was the Defuser--honestly I wouldn't have been surprised at any contestant's win, but certainly he made a strong showing throughout the show.
The girls liked it, although neither had a real favorite even at this point in the show. The eight-year-old, however, found the suspense almost unbearable while waiting for Stan to announce the winner, so for her sake I'm glad the season is over now. :)
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